Surveyor 251 RKS shakedown cruise

[andy10]

Our "shakedown" with the 251 was pleasantly successful. Moving up from a skyline Koala 19WQ (everything manual, no slide) was like night and day. All systems worked (I believe in Mr. Murphy's Law, and have 70 years of litigation.) I finally figured out the TV (at a rudimentary level), the first new one in more than fifteen years. Only problems, yes minor, were the knob on the bathroom vent falls off, the door between the living area and bath does not stay latched when moving (the jamb side seem a bit too flexible), and the drawer beneath the galley range does not stay shut when moving. The black tank flush on the far side is silly but only a small annoyance. The refer seems to bottom out at 35 degrees which is a bit too much. It took five hours on gas to get to 50 and that seems good.

[Angieburns]

Picking our 251rkss up monday but cant use for 2 weeks to try things out but have walk through with dealer on monday. Any suggestions to make sure they show us?
Thanks
Angie

[andy10]

The short answer is check everything but I won't try to weasel out of providing some specifics. As you saw the thread about the wires under the slide, have someone run the slide in and watch what happens. The wires are easily visible from the rear side of the slide. They seem to "fold" in an appropriate manner on ours. Yesterday I had to crawl under and feed the wire for the step light into the the plastic "conduit." It appeared that they never finished that job. That is my hint to support my smart, check everything, intro. A good dealer will have tested all systems. Have the tech open the water pump compartment and show you the anti-freeze pick up if you are not familiar with winterizing. Ask him to show you the in-line fuse. If he does let me know where it is! Look for any evidence of water leaks from the outside or from the water system. Not much is easily accessible but it is worth a quick once over. Of course try all doors, drawers, and windows. Things may be stiff as they are new but don't accept misalignment and such. One of the drawers under the dining settee on ours need some adjustment. If you are not experienced make sure they go over the gas system. Example: If the trailer has been unused for a while and you want to start the refridge on gas you will probably have to light the stove top burners to feed (pressure) the gas along the line. The electric (aside from a mix of 12 and 120 v) and water systems are not unlike "at home" but unless you are rural or Amish you may find the gas system appliances to be a new world.

AND if you are moving from on trailer to another don't assume things like lug nuts or water heater drain plugs are of a universal size. Make sure you have the proper tool(s) to do the DYI stuff and to do temp emergency fixes.

Probably forgot something. Just yell for more wisdom. Have Fun!

Andy

[Angieburns]

am printing this off and making a checklist of what I know I need to know and some of what you mentioned that I didn't think about. Thanks Andy, we are hopeful this camper will be an easy tow for our old Nissan-looking forward to years to come.
Oh, last thing...any suggestions on keeping your awning clean from stains. We cleaned our last with awning cleaning and all and still ended up with stains. I think they should make awnings black underneath instead of white! LOL

[andy10]

Our former trailer awning was a beast at times mainly due to our finding picturesque campgrounds with leaves/needles and procrastinating/ignoring simple prevention. Eventually I found that frequent rinsing by nature or hose and then letting it dry saved labor. Truth be told, it was a small, non-power awning. Before I wised-up, a weak bleach solution and elbow-grease behind a sponge mop did a descent job although wear sacrificial clothing. Eye protection is not a bad idea if you have to work overhead. When I learned to keep up with the cleaning a common utility cleaning product and water worked well. An environmentally friendly product will make RV parks happier and better for you. That was then, this is now. I have yet to tackle the current monster. I have a six foot stable step ladder that is good for cleaning the slide before closing. I am hoping that, and the sponge mop will reach most of the awning top. If not I may have to test the walk-on roof and for a number of reason that is unappealing.

Andy

[Angieburns]

wouldn't it be nice if they clipped off and you could clean them on the ground! I understand this wouldn't be realistic since the lights are at the end of the awning which seems odd. Do you like them there and not the top of the rollout for the awning?
We got a cover for our Salem and plan to reuse for the Surveyor. It does help with the elements but we still end up with mildew on the awning since we have so much humidity in Alabama. We will invest in a good awning cleaner and try and try to keep it clean and see how it goes. Thanks for all your suggestions!